To Our Big-Brother-to-Be

Dear D.,

Your Daddy and I have been sharing with you stories this week... stories of when we were preparing to bring YOU home over four years ago. We want to do this so that, as you see us racing about getting J.'s room ready, you'll know that we did the same thing just weeks before we got your "call."

I couldn't believe it was happening--we were becoming parents for the first time. And, waiting for the call to go and get you was painstaking. We had already flown to Russia to meet you three months prior so now we were simply waiting on a court date. The days turned into months (milleniums in my heart) as we waited and prepared.

First, you needed a room. This was not your ordinary "baby" room. You were two years old at the time so crib sets and rattles were replaced by bunk beds and dump trucks. How much fun I had decorating your first room! I found the matching brick red bedspreads and relished finding just the right picture for the wall. Your daddy thought I was crazy but I would not turn off the lamp in your room until I could tuck you safely in bed. In some ways, that light staying on kept me going as if it were a beacon in the night...calling you home.

Just as friends and family are giving us gifts for J., they gave us presents for you, too. Just before we brought you home, I had a wonderful "baby" shower and we were overwhelmed by the generosity of those who were almost as eager to meet you as we were. Books, toys, and clothes were wrapped with your name. Every one talked about you and how they couldn't wait for us to bring you home.

In the same way, we are preparing for another member of our family to arrive. Just like they did for you, family and friends are helping us get ready for your baby brother. I'm sure it is a bit overwhelming for you as you see our attention drawn elsewhere. It is going to be a big adjustment for us all as we learn to grow as a family and discover the best way to care for this exciting addition into our lives.

But you know what? You are going to be the best big brother J. could ask for. Your heart is big and your dream to have a "brudder" is finally coming true. We will learn together about bottles and rattles and just the right thing to do to make your brother smile. But the one thing I will not let you forget... you make me smile. In big ways and little ways every single day, your sparkling brown eyes and mischieveous grin are the reason I WANT to be a parent again.

Thank you for being the joy in our hearts, the first pitter-patter we heard on our floors and for opening your heart to make room for baby J.

You are an awesome kid.

Love,
Mama